Very Special Joys – a retrospective exhibition

The retrospective exhibition of the 75 years old Kossuth-Prize awarded Endre Tót, living in Germany since 1978, is on show in MODEM from 2 June to 9 September 2012The large-scale exhibition presents his early conceptual “ideas”, the Fluxus-connected photographs, artist-books, mail-art, famous zer0s and the conceptual inspired latest board-images, being created since the end of the 80s: works of the internationally acknowledged artist with uniquely consequential oeuvre-elements, keeping their vividness and humour.

Contrasts stand in the centre of Endre Tót’s art: polarized, simplified statements (I’m gald if I can write a sentence) and their inverse at the same time (I’m glad if I can erase this sentence). The refusal of the traditional artistic toolbar (unique painting, sculpture etc.) as well as the aspiration for museum presentation. Marvelling at the life’s banal, everyday phenomenons, and at the same time, the art far-away from real life and the thematization of the fundamental principles of the institutional system. Drastically erasing the individual initials from art, and on contrary, the constant verbal and visual presence of the artist’s ego in his works. The absence, lack, the non-image represented self-reference and the transfer of self-representation into programme.

fall out
I’m glad if I of the line – soon can be read in the façade of MODEM. In the exhibition, Very Special Joys, Tót summarises the results of the sentence that became his own during its continuous repetition over the last decades. The art of Endre Tót questions the institutional system of the political power, everyday communication and the art in his ironic, seemingly light way. Thus showing a peculiar neo-avantgarde preview to the current art tendencies.